This thesis describes the development of a monolithic dual-wavelength laser based on an InP/AlGaInP quantum dot (QD) laser structure. Each wavelength is sourced from the same active region and can be operated simultaneously or independently, with light being emitted from a common aperture. The inhomogeneity of the QD material provides a wide distribution of energies, resulting in a broad and relatively flat-topped gain spectrum, which is ideal for sourcing multiple wavelengths. Measurements of optical absorption, gain and laser threshold current densities were used to characterise the optical properties of InP/AlGaInP QDs and ascertain a suitable structure from which to fabricate the dual-wavelength source. A growth temperature of 710 °C resulted in the lowest threshold current densities, and the incorporation of tensile strain into the upper confining layers was found to reduce the temperature dependence. Optical gain measurements were used to assess how state-filling and temperature govern the gain-peak wavelength. For a fixed gain at low injection the wavelength dependence follows that of the band gap (≈ 0.17 nm/K), but at higher levels of injection it becomes relatively temperature-insensitive. A minima in wavelength sensitivity corresponded to a net gain of ≈ 28 cm-1. Edge-emitting lasers with a wavelength temperature dependence as low as 0.03 nm/K were demonstrated for temperatures up to 107 °C (380 K). An Ar-Cl2 based inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) etch process, suitable for fabricating sub-micron features, was developed to create the necessary device architecture. Using the effects of state-filling and spectrally preferential feedback, coupled-cavity ridgewaveguide lasers with unequal length sections were used to generate two wavelengths, with separations up to 61.5 ± 0.2 nm. Time resolved spectra were used to demonstrate dual-mode operation, where both wavelengths were observed to emit simultaneously. This is a promising result as it suggests that this device could potentially be used as a compact terahertz source
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:571718 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Shutts, Samuel |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://orca.cf.ac.uk/47418/ |
Page generated in 0.0177 seconds